New hub for Blackburn

A fantastic new £8.2 million hub for health, council and community services has been officially opened in Blackburn.

11 March

A special ceremony was held recently to mark the completion of Blackburn Partnership Centre, a partnership project between West Lothian Council and NHS Lothian at the heart of the village.

Services now based in the new Blackburn Partnership Centre include health services such as a new GP practice and community health centre, as well as council services such as Customer Information Services (CIS), library and employability services. A dentist is expected to be based in the centre soon.

Blackburn Credit Union are also now based at the centre, along with a community centre including sports hall, IT training suite and multi-purpose, early years and young people's spaces.

Chair of the West Lothian Integration Joint Board, Martin Hill, and Depute Leader of West Lothian Council, Kirsteen Sullivan, officially opened Blackburn Partnership Centre together with invited guests.

Martin Hill said: "It's great to officially open the new centre where the Council, NHS Lothian and care providers have worked together to make sure the right services are in place to support people in this fantastic facility.

"This is another example of an effective partnership approach, good for people and good for improving health in Blackburn.

"NHS Lothian is committed to the partnership centre model for communities such as Fauldhouse and Strathbrock in Broxburn, and I'm confident this substantial investment of public funds will benefit Blackburn residents for many years to come."

Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan added: "I'm delighted to be part of the official opening of the fantastic new Blackburn Partnership Centre.

"This superb new facility is already creating a real hub for the village, by bringing together services in one central location. This investment will ensure the Blackburn community has a first class facility for services at the heart of the village.

"West Lothian Council has a strong track record of delivering new partnership centres to bring vital services together for communities including Armadale, Bathgate, East Calder and Linlithgow, and work has already started on a new partnership centre for Whitburn."

Blackburn Partnership Centre is part of a £27.6 million programme of NHS Lothian works which includes the £12.1m North West Edinburgh (Muirhouse) Partnership Centre and £7.3million Firrhill Partnership Centre in Edinburgh.

Hub South East Scotland delivered the project, with GRAHAM Construction as the main contractor.